On the Night of Prayer – Only Time Will Tell

By: Feston Konzani

It’s now two days after the nights before.  The prayers, intercessions, and supplications have been made and probably still ascending up to the heavens.  Hopefully, the Prince of Persia is not stopping them from reaching the Throne of God as it was with Daniel’s prayers. But the faithful and the prayer warriors are now confident of the good work that they believe has since taken place.

All that is left to do now is a long or short wait for the answers whichever comes first. Honestly, the work has been done to all intents and purposes, the desired and the needful has been completed.

However, before the dust settles, questions are arising from different corners and people’s minds across Malawi as to why if this was meant for the good and benefit of Malawians were some people not invited?

The organisers chose to invite the state president but none of the opposition parties. Does that mean only the ruling party has the interest of Malawians and not the opposition? Does that mean the Former Superintendent of the Malawi Assemblies of God and now a leader of the main opposition MCP could have had nothing to say about the need to pray?

It sounds strange, that even the Peoples’ Party was not invited.  Does that actually mean there are no God- believing and God-fearing people in the party? According to Msonda, they did not receive any invitation from the organisers to attend the prayer vigil.

According to Msonda “Some respected servants of God have been involved in organizing this night of prayers innocently without knowing the DPP agenda. The motive of these prayers is to counter BICC national day of prayers after realizing that the leadership goofed big time for castigating prominent servants of God and the Catholic Bishops.” He said in an interview with The Malawi Star.

The obvious question which does not have to be is whether the overnight prayer was politicised or was it truly for Malawi as a nation? If some were excluded and a few included does that really unite us as a nation in dealing with the problems that we are facing?

One cannot but wonder if the main idea of the prayer vigil is what it achieved because if not then the point and an opportunity to unite the country in solving the country’s problems has been lost.  There could have been a unifying element and a spirit of togetherness to the night of prayer.

However, the situation is compounded even further by the rhetoric used by some of the preachers who seemed to sideline others and looked as if they only believe that the ruling party had all the solutions to the country’s problems.  But this was a night vigil for the nation which if it was properly utilised, the entire nation including the opposition and the general public could have rallied behind such a call to prayer. Probably, by setting aside the political differences, Malawi as a nation could have benefited more.

Comparing the state president to King Hezekiah, one cannot but wonder which Hezekiah? The repentant Hezekiah who in Chapter 35 of Isaiah stood up against Sennacherib king of Assyria by seeking God’s guidance over his (Sennacherib) defiance over the hosts of the Almighty God? The one who consulted Isaiah the Prophet and who in Chapter 36?  God responded to his servant’s (Isaiah) call for a divine intervention and he had victory over Sennacherib and the Assyrians(Chapter 37)?

 

Who when he was sick and was told that he was going to die cried out to the LORD and fifteen more years were added to his life (Chapter 38)?

Or are we talking about The proud Hezekiah of Chapter 39 of whom the following was written:

1 At that time, Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that he was ill, and was made strong. (Italics and bold added for emphasis. We don’t know what the present was or what was written in the letter)

2 And Hezekiah was glad because of them and let them see the house of his treasure

3 the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the good oil, and all his weapons, and all that was found in his treasuries; there was nothing in his house or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not let them see.

3 And Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, What did these men say? And from where did they come to you? And Hezekiah said, They have come from a distant land to me, from Babylon.

4 Then he said, What have they seen in your house? And Hezekiah said, They have seen all that is in my house; there is not a thing among my treasures that I have not made them see.

5 And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the Word of YAHWEH of Hosts: 6 Behold, days come when all that is in your house, even what your fathers have treasured up until now, shall be borne away to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says YAHWEH.

7 And they shall take of your sons who shall come forth out from you, which you shall father; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Which of these two types of Hezekiah are we referring to in the comparison?  For we see a humble king who when faced by an unforgiving enemy, sought God through Isaiah – The Prophet.  Who when he was told that he was going to die, cried out to God and fifteen more years were added to his life as a result but we also see the same king being very proud when he started receiving praises for his miraculous recovery from Merodach-Baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon.

But continuing to read the same book, and Chapter 40, we see another declaration of comfort not because of Hezekiah because he has already been judged:

The following is from verses 10-31;

If we read Chapter 40, we see the declaration of Comfort and verse 3, we are confronted with a prophecy which is attributed to have been echoed by John in the New Testament prophesying of the coming of another (Matthew 3:3).  People are told to PREPARE a way.  Obviously, this way was not meant for Hezekiah because by then, he had already made a deadliest blunder that would soon cause the entire nation to go into captivity.

Towards the end of the Chapter, we come face to face with a description of Elohim and finally the type of people who will benefit from who He is. As it is written:

10 Behold, Adonai YAHWEH will come with strength, and His arm rules for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His wage before Him. (Is 62:11, Zech 14:1-4)

11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather lambs with His arm; and carry them in His bosom; those with young He will lead;

12 who has measured in His hand the waters and the heavens by a span meted out; and enclosed in the measure the dust of the earth, and weighed in the balance the mountains, and the hills in the scales,

13 who has meted out the Spirit of YAHWEH, or a man His counsel taught Him? 14 With whom did He take counsel, and who trained Him and taught Him in the path of justice; and taught Him knowledge, and made known to Him the way of discernment?

15 Lo, nations are as a drop from a bucket and are reckoned as the dust of the scales. Lo, He takes up coasts as a little thing.

 

16 And Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before Him; to Him they are reckoned less than nothing and emptiness.

18 And to whom will you liken El? Or what likeness will you array to Him? 19 The craftsman pours out the casted image, the smelter spreads it with gold; and he casts the chains of silver.

20 He too poor for that offering chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks a skilled artisan for him, to prepare a carved image that will not be shaken. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Was it not told to you from the beginning? Did you not discern from the foundations of the earth?

22 He who sits on the circle1 of the earth, even those living in it are like grasshoppers; He who stretches the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; (Zech 12:1) 23 who brings princes into nothing. He makes judges of the earth as nothing.

24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they are not sown; yea, their stem is not taking root in the earth. And He shall also blow on them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall lift them up like stubble and take them away.

25 To whom then will you compare Me, or am I equaled, says the Holy One? 26 Lift up your eyes on high and look: Who has created these? Who brings out their host by number? By greatness of vigor, and might of power, He calls them all by names; not one is lacking.

27 Why will you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel; My way is hidden from YAHWEH, and my judgment is passed over by my Elohim?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? YAHWEH, the everlasting Elohim, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He is not faint, nor does He grow weary; there is no searching to His understanding.

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him with no vigor He increases might. 30 Even youths are faint and fatigued, and young men stumbling shall stumble;

31 but the ones waiting for YAHWEH shall renew their power; they shall go up with wings as the eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint!

Some one is being talked about here and not Hezekiah.  He has already been judged and found lacking.

So we see Hezekiah the humble, God – fearing king turning into a traitor because of praises from according to his own words ‘distant land to me, from Babylon.’ Chapter 40 we meet a new declaration of comfort and a description of  Elohim as well as those who are likely to benefit from who He is.

27 Why will you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel; My way is hidden from YAHWEH, and my judgment is passed over by my Elohim?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? YAHWEH, the everlasting Elohim, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He is not faint, nor does He grow weary; there is no searching to His understanding.

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him with no vigor He increases might. 30 Even youths are faint and fatigued, and young men stumbling shall stumble;

31 but the ones waiting for YAHWEH shall renew their power; they shall go up with wings as the eagles;

they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint! (Isaiah 40:27-31)

But they that wait upon the LORD (YAHWEH) shall renew their strength and obviously, Hezekiah is not one of those who waited upon the Lord because he became proud of himself as we saw in Chapter 39.  Hence we see a new declaration of comfort at the beginning of Chapter 40.

Therefore, only history will tell when it shall be fully revealed which of the two types of Hezekiah’s portrayals and comparison we are talking about.

As for now the organisers ought to be commended for the initiative.  All we can do now is simply wait and see the fruits of their labour and of all those that took part.  Only God can richly bless them for taking the time and effort.